KOZHIKODE: Health Minister Veena George said that the Pune Institute of Virology has not yet confirmed that the fever deaths reported in the district were due to Nipah. The minister informed that the test result will be available shortly. The Union Health Ministry had earlier informed that the two people who died due to fever in the district were infected with Nipah but the health minister said that Nipah has not been confirmed and the state is waiting for the test results.

Veena George informed the media that the testing of the samples sent to Pune is in progress. She also assured that the health department and the state government have taken measures in this regard. The minister continued that Nipah infection was suspected when the relatives of the patient who died first came to the hospital suffering from fever and then those who came in contact were tested to see if they were infected.
Veena George added that she had inquired whether the test was over and the received reply from Pune was that it was in progress.

Minister Muhammad Riaz had also reacted after Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced that Nipah disease has been confirmed in Kozhikode. He said that the central government had not informed the state about the confirmation of Nipah. It is understood in the discussion with the Minister of Health that the test result of the Pune Verology Institute is not yet available. The minister pointed out that, while waiting for the results of the tests, the matter should have been made public only after consultation.